Handle-locking device for pneumatic tools.



Pa tent ed Fe 3,1916.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1915 Mlness; Z457 Q 3.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC nemnonn ninomno, or AURORA, rumors, assreivon 'ro AURORA auroma'rrc MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HANDLE-LOCKING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC TOOLS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REINHoLn A. Nonnmo, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aurora, in the county of-Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and ing had to the. accompanying drawings, and

to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to locking devices for pneumatic tools and more particularly to means for locking the handle of such a tool to the body or barrel thereof, Pneumatic tools, constructed in such a manner as to make a locking device of the character described applicable, ordinarily comprise a tubular member or barrel having a central bore or cylinder, within which is mounted an endwise movable member or piston actuated by air pressure, alternately admitted at either end of the bore through the medlnm of suitable air passages commumcatmg therewith, and valve mechanism for controlling the admission ofcompressed air to said passages. The movable piston 1s adapted by .its movement within the barrel to deunscrewed from the barrel, it is desirable to liver sharp blows with great rapidity uponv the end of a tool inserted within one end of the barrel. This tool may be one of several varieties, depending on whether the particular pneumatic tool is a hammer, riveter, chisel, or other form of tool capable of performing work by a successron of rap1d blows. There is ordinarily provided, at the end of the barrel opposed to the tool:holding end thereof, a handle having a cylmdric sleeve or socket portion, WhlCh is removably connected to the end of the barrel by means of, screw threads. The operation of the .tool

is accompanied by a considerable degree of vibration, due'to the rapidity and force with which the blows are delivered, and, in the absence of means for locking the handle to the barrel, the effect of the vibration is a relative rotative movement of the parts tending to unscrew the handle fromthebarrel.

In order to prevent the handle from being provide means for locking the members together, so that, having assembled-the parts, the locking device may be; adjusted," thereby assuring e tightconnection of said handle Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied Mar 24. 19152 Serial No. 29.999.

Patented Feb. 8,1916.

and barrel. It is to such a locking device that thls invention relates, and the features of construction will be readily understood from a description of a form of tool to which the'locklng device is applicable, and in connectlon w1th the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a pneumatic tool to which the locking device is applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the tool with a portion broken away to show the form of connection be tween the barrel and handle, and also show- 1ng 'the members ofv the locking device in section; Fig. 3 is an enlar ed cross-sectional vlew taken on line 33 0 Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on l1ne 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to'the construction of the particularform of pneumatic tool embodying the features of the invention, thesame comprises two main parts or members, namely, the barrel 10 and the handle 11 As before mentioned, in connection w1th tools of this character, the barrel consists of a tubular member having a central .bore, within which travels a reciprocating plunger, said plunger being actuated by of air to the bore is controlled by. valve mechanism located at the end of the barrel adjacent to the handle, said valve mechamsm being arranged to direct the air alternately into the bore at the opposite ends thereof, thereby efiecting the rapid reciprocatory movement of the plunger within the barrel. Certain of said air passages 12, 125;" constitute exhaust passages whereby the air is discharged from the barrel at the proper intervals, through the medium of the valve mechanism. Since the particular operating mechanism of the tool forms no part of this invention, it is not thought necessary to illustrate or describe in detail the construction thereof, it being understood that a tool,

such as a riveter or hammer, is inserted in the. opposite end of the barrel from the handle, the same being adapted to receive blows delivered in rapid succession by the plunger.

The handle 11 comprises a grip or handle portion 13 arranged transversely to the barrel in the usual manner and adapted to be grasped by the operator in manipulating the tool. The grip 13 is connected by means of a curved neck portion to a cylindric socket portion 1-1 of the handle 11, said socket having an open end and adapted to receive the adjacent end of the barrel, said parts having screw-threaded connection, as here1n' after more fully described. At the lower extremity of the handle is provided an air inlet member 15 adapted to be connected to a compressed ir supply, by means of a suitable hose and hose connection. lhe air 1nlet member communicates with an an passage formed within the handle and adapted to conduct the a1rto said valve mechanism located within the adjacent end of the barrel 10 and surrounded, in part, by the socket portion of the handle. A -valve is also provided within the handle 13, the same comprising a control lever 16 projecting outwardly from the upper end of the grip portion 13, and adapted to be manipulated by the thumb of the operator in starting and stopping the tool.

The extremity of the barrel adjacent to the handle is provided with a screwthreaded portion 17 (Fig. 2) adapted to engage screw threads formed upon the inner surface of the socket 14 of the handle, said i screw threads of the socket being preferably located a short distance inwardly from the margin of the socket, so that when the handle is screwed tightly onto the end of the ject a short distance beyond the threaded portion 17 of the barrel. Spaced inwardly from said screw-threaded portion of the barrel and intermediate of the ends thereof, is formed an integral collar 18 adapted to form of the socket portion of the handle, the portion of the barrel intermediate the shoulder formed by said collar and the threaded portion 17 being preferably of uniform diameter.

Between the shoulder 18 and the margin of the socket portion 14 of the handle, is located the locking device embodying my invention, and which may be described as follows: Surrounding the barrel, intermediate the shoulder 18 and the end of the socket, is a split ring 19 having the. nature of a peripherally resilient or expansible ring, said ring being slightly greater in its internal diameter than the external diameter of that portion of the barrel surrounded by it. The ring is adapted to be contracted or decreased in diameter by having its ends drawn together, and, therefore, its diameter is variable, although it is preferred to have the diameter of the ring slightly even when in contracted condition. At the barrel said margin of the socket will pro-' a shoulder spaced from the margin or edge greater than the diameter of the barrel,

ends of the split ring, adjacent to thepoint where the same is split or out, are provided integral lugs 20, 21 extending transversely to the rings and in opposite directions. One of the lugs engages a notch 22 formed in the margin of the socket portion of the handle, and the other lug 21 engages a similar notch 23 formed in the adjacent margin of a collar 21 rotatively mounted upon the barrel intermediate the split ring 19 and the shoulder 18. The collar 24 is adapted to be revolved about the barrel and to be secured in one of several positions, the following means being preferably employed to accomplish this object: Arranged circumferentially about the collar are provided a series of equally spaced apertures 25 located midway of the margins of the same. These apertures are adapted to register with a series of holes or cylindric depressions 26 formed in the barrel, said holes being spaced at equal distances apart about the circumference of said barrel and located in the plane of the apertures 25 of the collar 2 1. To secure the collar to the barrel and to prevent rotation of the former about said barrel, a cylindric plug or looking member 27 (Fig. 3) is emple yed, the same being preferably provided with a beveled or tapered surface 27 at one end thereof. The plug is adapted to be inserted through an aperture'25 of the collar and into a hole 26 of the barrel, when the collar is rotated to a position in which one of the apertures of the collar and a hole of the barrel are brought into registering relation, thereby locking the collar from rotation upon the barrel. It is preferable to provide-a greater number of holes in the barrel than there are apertures in the collar, thereby permitting a greater degree of adjustment of the collar, in that a less angle of rotation of the collar is required to bring an aperture thereof into registering relation with a hole of the barrel. Furthermore, the formation of the apertures is. preferably such as to afford a more secure locking or retention of the plug in looking position, namely, by tapering a portion of the walls of the apertures in a direction slightly inclined to a radial line representing the normal axis of the aperture, thereby increasing the circumferential dimension of each aperture. As shown in Fig. 3, the effect of tapering the apertures is to provide at one side of each aperture an edged shoulder adjacent to the inner surface of the collar and at the opposite side a similar shoulder adjacent to the outer surface of the collar. Thus, when the plug is inserted in locking position, the shoulder adjacent to the outer surface of the aperture will engage saidtapered surface 27 at the outer extremity of the plug, it being understood at this time that, when the collar is in locked position, there is a force exerted 'onit by the split ring tending to rotate the collar in a counter-clockwise .direction, as-

i will be further described. Furthermore, the

- said plug at diflerent points along its axis,

shoulder at-the opposite side of the aperture engages the plug at a point below the tapered shoulder of said plug, andhence, by

reasons of the force exerted by the collar on words, that the handle is rotated from right to left in screwing the same upon the barrel and, further, assuming that said handle and barrel are disconnected, and itis desired to assemble the parts, the plug 27 being removed from the collar and barrel, thereby permitting said collar and the split ring to rotate freely upon the barrel. The handle is first screwed'onto the barrel in the usual manner until the notch 22 of the socket portion of the handle engages the corresponding lug of the split ring 19. Further rotation of the handle in the act of screwing the handle tightly upon the barrel carries with it the split ring and collar, which, as before stated, are free to rotate. When the handle is screwed on as far as possible, that is,

. when further rotation of the handle is impossible, the collar is now grasped by the hand and further rotated in the same direction as that of the handle in being screwed upon the barrel. The barrel being station- 'ary, the rotation of the collar produces a contraction of the split ring accompanied by a reduction of the diameter and a bringing together of its ends. When a point is reached where the ring is tightly contracted, and the collar can no longer be rotated, the plug is inserted into an aperture and hole of the collar and the barrel, which are found to be in registering position, as shown in Fig. 3. When the plug is finallyinsertedin locking position, and the collar is released, the tendency of the split ring to expand exerts a force upon the collar tending to rotate it in the opposite direction, namely, counter-clockwise, with reference to Fig. 3. Byreason of this force, the plug becomes securely lOuh'Pd in position by the action thereon of the shoulders formed by tapering said apertures as hereinbefore described. The collar being locked from rotation and the split ring wound up, so to speak, the latter exerts a constant tension upon the handle tending to rotate the same in a directiontoscrew the same more tightly upon the-barrel. In this manner, therefore, the

' collar and split ring-act to retain the handle firmly upon the barrel, thereby preventing the 'said members from becoming unscrewed or loosened by reason of the vibration of the tool or from other causes. It is apparent that the device can be easily unlocked by rotating the collar in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) a suflicient amount to permit the plug to be removed. Thus the collar and' ring are free to rotate, and the handle can be removed in the usual manner.

A lockingdevice embodyingthe features herein described is simple in structure and admits of ease in operation, having no delicate. parts that are easily broken by the rough usage to which the tool is subjected.

Having described in detail the construction of a dev ice embodying thefeatures of my invention, what I claim as my invent1on 1s v 1. A. pneumatic tool, comprising a handle member and a body member adapted to be connected togetherat adjacent ends by the relative rotation of said members in one direction, and means for looking said members from rotation in the opposite direction, comprising a circumferentially adjustable member mounted on one of said-members inter.

mediate its ends and adapted, to be locked thereto inone of several adjusted positions, and a resilient tension member interposed between and connected with said adjustable member and with. the end ofthe other of saidmembers, said adjustable member being adapted to vary the tension of said resilient member.

2. A pneumatic tool, comprising a handle member and 'abody member having screw,- threaded end portions adapted to be screwed tightly together, and means for lockingsaid members together, comprising a resilient member adapted to be connected at one of its ends to theend of one of said members, and a circumferentially adjustable member mounted on the other of said members intermediate of its ends and connected with the opposite end of said resilient member.

3. A pneumatic tool, comprising a handle member, a barrel member adapted to have threaded engagement with said handle member, one of said members being provided with athreaded socket adapted to receive a threaded end of the other member, a circumferentially adjustable member mounted on one of said members intermediate its ends and adjacent to the socket of the other of said members, and a resilient member interposed between and. connected with said adjustable member and the margin of said socket.

4. A pneumatic tool, comprising a handle provided with-a socket, a barrel having screw-threaded connection with said socket,

a peripherally resilient member surroundand connected at one of its ends to said handle member, and a rotative collar mounted on said barrel and connected with the opposite end of said'resilient member, said collar being adapted to be rotated to vary the tension of said resilient member and to be locked to said barrel in one of several adjusted positions. I

5. A pneumatic tool, comprising a barrel, a handle provided with a socket adapted to have screw-threaded engagement with one end of said barrel, a split tension ring surrounding said barrel and connected at one end to said handle, a tension adjusting member connected to the other end of said ring and interposed between said ring and said barrel, and means for locking said adjustable member to said barrel.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a barrel, ahandle provided with a threaded socket adapted to receive the threaded end of said barrel, a peripherally expansible split ring surrounding said barrel andprovided at its ends with transversely extending lugs, said socket of the handle being provided with a marginal notch adapted to receive one of said lugs, and an adjustable member mounted on said barrel and adapted to engage the other of said lugs of the ring, said adjustable member being adapted to vary the tension of said ring and to be locked to said barrel in one of several adjusted positions.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination of a barrel, a handle provided with a socket adapted to have screwthreaded engagement with one end of said barrel, a split tension ring surrounding said barrel and connected at one end to said handle, a collar rotatively mounted on said barrel and connected with the other end of said ring, said collar-being provided with an aperture adapted to register with a hole formed in said barrel, and a removable plug adapted to be inserted in said aperture and hole to lock said collar from rotation on said barrel.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a barrel, a handle provided with a threaded socket adapted to receive the threaded end of said barrel, a peripherally expansible split ring surrounding said barrel and provided at its ends with transversely extending lugs, said sockets of the handle beingprovided with a marginal notch adapted to receive one of said lugs, a collar rotatively mounted on said barrel adjacent to said ring and provided with a marginal notch adapted to receive the other of said lugs of the ring, and means for locking said collar to said barrel in one of several adjusted positions.

9., In a devicev of the character described, the combination of a barrel, a handle provided with a threaded socket adapted to receive a threaded end of said barrel, a collar rotatively mounted 0 said barrel and provided with a series of circumferentially arranged apertures, said barrel being provided with a series of circumferentially arranged holes adapted to register with said apertures of said collar, a peripherally eXpansible member surrounding said barrel, interposed between and connected with said handle and collar, and adapted to be contracted by the rotation of said collar, and means for locking said collar to said barrel in one of several positions, comprising a plug adapted to be inserted in a registering aperture of said collar and a hole of said barrel.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a barreL a'handle provided with a threaded socket adapted to receive a threaded end of saidbarr'el, said barrel being provided with a shoulder adjacent to the threaded end thereof and a series of circumferentially arranged holes adjacent to said shoulder, a collar rotatively mounted on said barrel intermediate said shoulder and the threaded extremity thereof and having a series of circumferentially arranged apertures adapted to register with said holes of the barrel, a peripherally expansible member surrounding said barrel and connected with said handle and collar and adapted to be contracted by the rotation of said collar, and means for locking said collar to said barrel in one of several positions, comprising a plug adapted to be inserted in a registering aperture of said collar and a hole of said barrel.

In testimony that I, claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of May, A. D. 1915.

REINHOLD A. NORLING.

Witnesses:

J. E. BARBER, T. A. HARRISON. 

